Sean Rodriguez (Guard - Piedmont High School)
Rodriguez is a dynamic guard who can score from anywhere on the floor, distribute the ball effectively to his teammates, and lead a team. Standing at 6'0, he has the ability to put pressure on defenses with his ball handling skills and quickness, immediately making him one of the toughest players to defend in the Cal Pac Conference. He also possesses an outstanding basketball IQ. As a senior in high school, he averaged 20.3 points, 3.1 assists, and 3.4 rebounds per game. He was voted league MVP, named to the San Francisco Bay Area All-Metro Team, and became Piedmont's All-Time leader in scoring and assists.
Cole Taira (Guard - Kennedy High School)
Taira is one the most fearless competitors around and has the ability to influence the game just on energy alone. He is only 5'9 but he creates all kinds of problems with his toughness and scoring ability. He has a high basketball IQ and is a tremendous team leader. He is a player that will do every little gritty thing to help the team be successful. The intangibles that he brings will elevate the men's basketball program immediately. Look for Taira to be a spark for the team all four years, and immediately become a fan-favorite because of his hustle.
Ryan Haywood (Guard - Diamond Ranch High School)
Haywood is an effortless scorer who can put points on the scoreboard in a variety of ways. He has good size for his position, standing at 6'2, and is deceptively quick at getting to the basket. He is a confident shooter with NBA range. As a senior in high school he averaged 14.7 points, 4.0 assists, and 5.4 rebounds per game. He also led his high school team to its first CIF-Southern Section Division 3A championship. With his natural scoring ability and length at the guard position, Haywood will be a matchup nightmare for his entire career at UC Merced.
Isaiah Knott (Guard - El Capitan High School)
While this will be Knott's first year as a Bobcat, the fans of Merced already know all about him. Knott is a local player, graduating from El Capitan High School right down the street from the UC Merced campus. Knott is a freakishly athletic guard with exceptional speed and quickness. Standing at 5'8 with a low center of gravity, he has the ability to change direction quickly at any time and knows how to use his explosiveness to create plays for himself and his teammates. He will be one of the team's best on ball defenders, possessing the ability to defend anybody 94 feet. As a senior in high school he was named Merced Sun-Star Player of the Year after averaging 15.1 points and 4.8 assists per game.
Andrew Williams (Guard - Sacramento High School)
Another guard with a high basketball IQ and great athleticism, Williams might be the best defender of the bunch. Williams is extremely athletic and brings great toughness and energy to the floor. Using his lateral quickness, strength, and tenacity he can defend the best guards and small forwards in the conference right out of the gate. He is also an efficient scorer shooting 54% from the field his senior year. He finished the season averaging 11.7 points, 1.3 assists, and 3.4 rebounds while helping his team win the CIF San-Joaquin Section Division II title. Williams is extremely coachable and is the type of player any team in the conference would kill to have in their huddle.
Derek E'denchukwu (Forward - Salesian High School)
The moment E'denchukwu steps onto Hostetler Court, he will become arguably the most athletic Bobcat to ever lace them up. Standing at 6'5 with great length and leaping ability, he is physically gifted, hustles at all times, and is relentless on the boards. He has a natural feel for the game with good timing on shot blocks and rim finishes. His presence on the floor will immediately boost the team's energy and effort on every play because of his "go get it" attitude. In his senior season, he led California powerhouse Salesian High School to an impressive 28-5 record earning the NCS Les Schwab Division 4 championship. Last season, the Bobcats had exactly zero dunks in a game all season. E'denchukwu might put an end to that drought right away. He once had 11 dunks in a single AAU game.
Frederick Steen (Forward - Mt. Eden High School)
Steen is a player who seemingly got better with every game in high school. He's a very athletic player capable of guarding multiple positions due to his quickness and length. He's a strong player around the rim with good post presence and the ability to fight for rebounds in traffic. Steen is another very coachable player who has the ability to change a game with his high energy. He averaged 9.0 points and 5.8 rebounds a game for Mt. Eden his senior year while shooting 49% from the floor.
Ronald Kozak (Center - Camarillo High School)
Kozak will step onto the court this year and immediately become the tallest player in UC Merced men's basketball history, and one of the tallest in the Cal Pac Conference. Proving he's more than just height, the 6'9 center has a very fundamentally strong inside game despite not being heavily featured on offense in high school. He'll provide shot blocking and a rebounding presence the Bobcats have been hoping to acquire for a long time. He also has the ability to stretch the floor and hit the occasional 12-15 foot jump shot. As with many of this year's recruits, Kozak has a very advanced basketball IQ and feel for the game. While players with his height typically take time adjusting to the college game, Kozak might be one of the rare exceptions who can step in as a freshman big man and immediately make contributions."
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